N: Oak, sweet corn, corn bread, and a vague nuttiness. Something vegetal in nature (grilled asparagus, maybe?). Vanilla and caramel (unsurprising). Strong and numbing ethanol scent - medicinal in quality. Sweet and a bit earthy. Vanilla gets more intense, approaching vanilla ice cream, with hard swirls. Hint of toffee. Vanilla extract - more vanilla - but tinged with sweet corn. Vague fruitiness at the edges of the glass. P: Vanilla, caramel, and oak. Boozy with some bite. Relatively smooth and easy drinking. More caramel as it opens. Some non-descript bread notes. Finish has some heat - chili pepper in nature, a step beyond the usual cinnamon, but not terribly hot. The bread and caramel carry through the finish. Some puckering tannin influence (especially at the cheeks), but it avoids bitterness. Generally slick and sweet on the mouthfeel, but not overwhelming. Drinking this straight. Took a few tries (two cubes, one cube, just water) to figure out how to drink this. Ice and/or water just made it disappear. Straight is the way to go, and that feels like an accomplishment at this price point. It's solid and unassuming, but not particularly good. For entry-level, this is less interesting, less complicated, and more expensive than either Evan Walker BIB or Wild Turkey (either the 81 or 101). Doubt I would do this again. But I can see where the 101 MM might compete - will have to give that a shot.